Pugging and compaction damage of grazing pasture can occur by grazing animals, or farm vehicles and machinery. This can occur when the soil is soft such as when its wet and the weight of the animals or vehicles cannot be adequately supported by the soil's surface. Pugging can result in poor drainage, keeping the soil soft and wet. Pugging and compaction damage can also result in reduced pasture utilisation as well as a reduction in future pasture yield, depending upon the soil type. Pugging also allows weeds and poor species of grasses to become established. Moreover, pugging and compaction damage requires more tractor passes for seed bed preparation and sowing and greater fertiliser and topsoil requirements. However, it may not always be possible to add the necessary increased fertiliser requirement due to some region's/country's regulations regarding runoff of nitrogen into the waterways.
In order to address the problem of runoff, and/or pugging and/or compaction damage of grazing pastures, stand-off pads are often used. Stand-off pads are generally purpose-built, loafing or standing spaces where stock can be held for long periods when it is not suitable to have them on pasture. This may occur for example during a wet season, inclement weather, or when it is otherwise undesirable to have cattle or other livestock on pasture.
Some presently available stand-off pads are usually constructed of wood/wood chips, metal/lime, or concrete. One disadvantage associated with such stand-off pads is in relation to drainage. That is, many pads often have poor drainage or simply allow the effluent to be washed off and into oxidation ponds, or directly into waterways. It is now well known that effluent run-off into waterways is environmentally damaging.
Furthermore, it is found that there are usually problems associated with standing livestock such as cows on presently available concrete pads (predominantly lameness) and wood chip pads (predominantly mastitis). The effectiveness of wood chip pads is generally found to be dependent upon good management and regular maintenance, involving regularly stripping the old surface and replacing it with new wood chips. This can be both time and cost intensive.
WO2004/022883 addresses some of these issues regarding common stand-off pad constructions. WO2004/022883 describes a covered stand-off pad that includes a slatted concrete floor that allows for effluent to pass therethrough and into a basement area.
This allows waste matter to be separated from the floor and to be collected in the basement This has several advantages including that the floor does not need to be hosed down as excess waste matter tends not to build up on the floor.
Also, it has been found that upon contact with the air, a film or skin is formed over the waste material within the basement in much the same way as a skin forms quickly over a “cow pat”. This skin or film serves to block odours and/or harmful gases emanating from the waste material from being released into the surroundings of the stand-off pad. The skin or film is believed to be a protein which forms upon contact with oxygen of components within the waste matter and while blocking gases and odours still allows the evaporation of moisture therethrough. As some of the constituents of waste matter can be useful as fertilizer, whereas liquid urine is not a desirable constituent due to environmental pollution problems, evaporation of liquid is desirable in order to allow a processing of the waste before it is used as a fertiliser. Whilst in use it has been found that above a certain combination of environmental conditions, primarily temperature and/or humidity and/or airflow within the basement area, sufficient evaporation in the basement area to actively reduce the volume of liquid in the waste matter may occur. A net reduction in liquid can hence result.
Whilst in-use it has been found that below a certain combination of environmental conditions, primarily temperature and/or humidity and airflow within the basement area, sufficient evaporation in the basement area to actively reduce the volume of liquid in the waste matter may not occur. A net gain in liquid can result The basement acts as a storage facility when this occurs. When for example the temperature increases during the warmer months of the year, evaporation from the waste matter within the basement area can start to occur. It has been found that the invention of WO2004/022883 can produce in the basement area, an environment with sufficient ambient air derived warmth and air flow (for example through the drainage means or through gaps between modular floor components) encourage evaporation of moisture from the stored waste material. Although it is desirable for such effects to occur even on less warmer days in order to increase processing rate of the waste matter.
Another feature of the invention described in WO2004/022883 is that the substantially waterproof cover, combined with the open side walls, serve to keep the floor as well as the basement relatively dry and ventilated. This is important given that it allows for dry waste matter to form on the slatted concrete floor of the standoff pad. This deposit or film serves as an insulator and/or softener between the hoof or foot of the animal and the concrete pad.
However, we have found that the invention described in WO2004/022883 does not always (or consistently) result in an effective drying and ventilation of the area enclosed by the standoff pad during all types of weather. For example, we discovered that there were portions of the shelter that were often in a wind shadow, or that were subjected to inconsistent wind flow, were therefore not subjected to any or significant or consistent drying or ventilating effect.
The invention of WO2004/022883 describes a roof that can help keep precipitation out and increase the temperature inside the structure for the purposes of aiding drying of waste matter on the floor and in the basement However during certain times of the day it may be undesirable for animals to be located under the roof. In particular certain animals are quite sensitive to environmental conditions. In particular body temperature and heat exchange factors can have an influence on for example milk productivity of animals. Prolonged stand-off periods during hot weather can adversely affect an animals productivity, particularly under a covered stand-off facility where air circulation may reduce heat exchange. Accordingly the invention described in WO2004/022883 has some further limitations.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improvements in or relating to the animal shelter structures, which will go at least some way towards addressing the foregoing, or which will at least provide industry with a useful choice.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of conditioning milk producing animals and related means.
Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.
All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.
It is acknowledged that the term ‘comprise’ may, under varying jurisdictions, be attributed with either an exclusive or an inclusive meaning. For the purpose of this specification, and unless otherwise noted, the term ‘comprise’ shall have an inclusive meaning—i.e. that it will be taken to mean an inclusion of not only the listed components it directly references, but also other non-specified components or elements. This rationale will also be used when the term ‘comprised’ or ‘comprising’ is used in relation to one or more steps in a method or process.